# Using Ruby on a generic ISP **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [October 6, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-on-a-generic-isp/116519 "2007-10-06T19:05:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![winterheat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@winterheat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/winterheat)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-on-a-generic-isp/116519/1 "2007-10-06T19:05:16Z")
I wonder how Ruby can be used on a generic ISP right now? looks like right now i can use a test.rb in my cgi-bin directory, and it is not even checking the #!/usr/bin/ruby line and then i tried a test.erb in the cgi-bin or a test.rhtml in the www directory, and neither of them worked. the test.erb won’t work with the line #!/usr/bin/erb or #!/usr/bin/local/erb So I wonder, can I do something on my own directories so that test.rhtml, test.erb, ActiveRecord, and ActiveSupport will work? ---
**Author:** ![winterheat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@winterheat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/winterheat)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-on-a-generic-isp/116519/2 "2007-10-06T19:38:10Z")
On Sun, Oct 07, 2007 at 02:05:18AM +0900, SpringFlowers AutumnMoon wrote: > the test.erb won’t work with > the line #!/usr/bin/erb or #!/usr/bin/local/erb > > So I wonder, can I do something on my own directories so that > test.rhtml, test.erb, ActiveRecord, and ActiveSupport will work? If the ISP doesn’t have Ruby on their server, there’s not very much you can do about it… ---
**Author:** ![winterheat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@winterheat](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/winterheat)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-on-a-generic-isp/116519/3 "2007-10-07T02:24:42Z")
On Oct 6, 2007, at 12:37 PM, Benjamin A’Lee wrote: > > directory, and neither of them worked. > > can do about it… Not necessarily, as long as they allow you to compile /install software in your directory, you might be able to make it work. DreamHost is the common cheap hosting service that everyone and their dog has an account with. They have Ruby, but their gems are always out of date. People commonly install their own gems in their own directory. Theoretically you could install your own Ruby in there too. I tried it. It works, but it’s a lot slower, so I just kept using their binary.